Kennebunk Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I'm looking at Kennebunk Beach for the next couple of weeks, and to be honest, it's a bit of a slow burner. There's a long stretch of tiny, weak stuff to start, but if you're patient, the end of the period has a proper spike of energy that looks well worth waiting for.

The water is sitting at 63°F right now, which for mid-September is a solid couple of degrees warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s actually pretty pleasant out there.

We're in for a flat spell to kick things off. From Saturday the 12th right through to Thursday the 24th, the swell is mostly tiny, under 3ft. The wave energy is pathetic, with readings barely cracking triple digits. Most days you'll see 'poor surf conditions' and a score of zero, which tells you everything. There are a few glimpses of clean conditions – like Sunday afternoon the 13th with glassy conditions, or Monday morning the 14th with a clean 3ft – but the swell is so short-period (7 seconds) and small it’s basically a lake. Don't bother paddling out for that.

Now, here’s the real story. Hold out for Thursday the 24th of September. That’s your standout. Kennebunk Beach wakes up with a proper pulse of 12ft swell from the ESE. The combined wave energy rockets up to around 1788 (moderate to strong) and it stays glassy through the afternoon. That’s a big, clean, powerful day, but listen – at 12ft this is for experienced surfers only. Beginners, stay on the sand. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s a windswell mix with plenty of push.

Friday the 25th sees the swell drop to 6ft, but the wind swings onshore and rips it apart, making for choppy, ugly conditions. Not worth it.

Saturday the 26th cleans up again with NNW winds in the morning giving a clean 4ft swell, but the real gem is Saturday afternoon: glassy conditions, a clean 5ft swell from the ENE. That’s a much more manageable size, and with a period of 8 seconds it'll be fun and punchy. Combined energy is a solid 466, so there’s some grunt in the water. This is a great option for intermediate surfers if Thursday's 12ft monster is too much.

To sum it up: there’s a big, fat gap of nothing for nearly two weeks. The only real windows are Thursday the 24th for the big-wave crew, and Saturday the 26th for everyone else looking for something clean and fun. The break is fairly consistent, but sheltered, so it needs a decent swell to light up.

- Rusty

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